Kitbag – Gentlemens’ Penknives

There was a time when every chap would, by force of habit, pat down his tweeds as he left his home just to check he was carrying his necessary accoutrements for the day; only when his wallet, pipe, car keys and trusty penknife were safely stowed away would he be ready to stride out to tackle an honest day’s work.
The affectionately British term ‘penknife’ dates from the 6th century when a short sharp blade was needed to ‘dress’ quill pens. However, folding pocket knives were carried by nearly every Roman foot soldier and are thought to have been around since the Iron Age.

If you’ve got the mental stamina to reach paragraph three of this feature, then, as far as we’re concerned, you’ve passed the intelligence test and earned the right to carry a penknife without fear of harassment by the Rozzers. Just as long as your blade is less than three inches long, and you don’t start brandishing it at every discourteous motorist who cuts you up on your morning commute, you will be fine legally.

In MotorPunk’s kit bag today we have a wide selection of charming and unusual penknives that should meet the needs of the most discerning modern gentlemen.

.

THE OPINEL – ELEGANCE FRANCAISE

Originally sold as a simple working man’s knife, the Opinel has become an iconic symbol of French culture and rural lifestyle. Pablo Picasso used an Opinel to carve his sculptures, while Roger Frison-Roche, the Savoyard alpine guide and mountaineer, never made an ascent without an Opinel stowed in his knapsack.
Known as the French knife in the United States it can be bought with a fixed blade or with an easy-action folding blade for swift surrendering. In either form its simple elegance has found many fans; in 1985 the V&A Museum selected the Opinel as part of an exhibit celebrating the “100 most beautiful products in the world”, featuring it alongside the Porsche 911 and the Rolex watch. The Opinel was also selected as one of 999 classic designs to be exhibited by the New York’s Museum of Modern Art as a “design masterpiece.”

WENGER’S “GIANT” SWISS ARMY KNIFE

The Wenger Giant Swiss Army knife makes McGyvor look like an ill-prepared buffoon. Manufactured in Delémont, Switzerland, this world record breaking multi-tool has 141 functions including a laser pointer, cigar cutter (patented) and a tyre tread gauge. Admittedly, at nearly a foot long, and weighing over 1.2 kilos, it’s not exactly a pocket knife unless you dress like a heavy duty MC Hammer. A clever bit of brand marketing, or proof that the Swiss have a sense of humour? Probably the former.

If it were a car it’d be the Phooeymobile (if you’re under forty you may have to Google that)

THE WALTHER “PLEASE BRING IT BACK IN ONE PIECE, COMMANDER BOND” MULTI TAC

In 1957, Ian Fleming received a fan letter from a Mr. Geoffrey Boothroyd, a Bond enthusiast and firearms expert, dissing 007’s weapon of choice, the Beretta 418, as “a lady’s gun” and suggesting several alternatives with “more stopping power”, including the 7.65mm Walther PPK. After James Bond was issued with his German-made Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell in Dr.No it soon became the most famous handgun in popular culture.However, fewer people know that it was a Walther PPK that blew Hitler’s brains out.

If you’d like your pocket knife to have a tenuous link to England’s greatest fictional secret agent then you’ll be pleased to know that Walther also make a wide range of less deadly gadgets. As a nod to James Bond’s PPK the Walther Tactical Multi-Tool’s blade is 7.65cm long and features snub- nosed pliers for de-frocking foreign female spies, a tool for de-stoning martini olives and a range of ‘driver bits for mending troublesome Lotus Esprits.

If it were a car it’d be something from Q Branch’s off-road collection

THE IPHONE MULTI TOOL – FOR WHEN THERE ISN’T AN APP FOR THAT

Smart phones are amazing things but until now they were never very good at practical tasks such as tamping tobacco, slicing lemons for an impromptu G&T or stabbing rabid dogs whilst rambling in France. Until now.
Those clever fellows at Tasklab have designed the TaskOne iPhone case to help you out when an app just won’t do it. It stows 16 steel tools into its slimline aircraft-grade aluminium case, and, weighing only 89 grammes, it won’t spoil the silhouette of your sports jacket. Impressively, it still manages to houses a 2.5 inch serrated knife, a saw blade, screwdrivers, pliers, wire strippers, a bottle opener, Allen keys and several other handy devices that a practical young chap might call upon.

P3700 – A PENKNIFE FOR THE PORSCHEPHILE

From the people who brought you the £350 tobacco pipe and the million quid Advent calendar comes the Porsche Design P3700 pocket knife. Built by the Swiss Army people it has the same basic tools as Victorinox’s £20 Camper model but, and here’s the crucial bit, it has “Porsche Design” written on the side of its aluminium handle. That apparently makes it worth over twenty times more to a knife collecting aficionado. Available in either black (shown here) or silver, the knife features a contoured body with your usual assortment of tools, including a straight blade, corkscrew, scissors and a file you can strike matches on should you wish to set fire to additional bundles of slightly used bank notes.

About The Author

Darryl can usually be found up to his elbows in some unloved piece of BL detritus when he isn’t snapping and scribbling for various print magazines or producing the occasional book on sports cars or road trips. As a professional Trophy Husband, under-worked layabout and occasional presenter on XCAR’s YouTube channel Dr O’s other hobbies include vintage Scalextrics, ‘60s Bang & Olufsen and dabbling in grassroots motorsport.